Mobistar, which is 53% owned by Orange, is adopting the Orange brand in Belgium, and will start offering cable TV.
Before the end of March, the new Orange will start to offer cable TV and multiplay products in the country, making use of the Open Cable regulation in the country.
The operator has been testing the cable TV offer with some selected customers. Since the beginning of 2014, Mobistar has developed internet and TV services that are based on the cable television regulation of the cable market, making it possible for alterative operators to access the network of cable operators. After this first development phase, Mobistar tested its internet and TV offer with a hundred members of its own personnel during several months.
“In the nearly 20 years of its existence, Mobistar has revolutionised and democratised the Belgian telecommunications market,” commented Jan Steyaert, president of the board of directors of Mobistar.
“The adoption of a major international brand such as Orange will enable the company to continue to energise the Belgian market for the benefit of its consumers. That is why our Board of Directors voted wholeheartedly and unanimously in favour of the brand change, which will allow Mobistar to continue its development under the Orange brand .”
Jean Marc Harion, Mobistar CEO, added: “The adoption of the Orange brand is a unique opportunity to strengthen our presence in our markets and to support our entrance into the world of convergence with the upcoming launch of our cable Internet and TV offer for residential customers and the recent launch of the new Pulse offers for companies. On the business market, the rebranding will help to reconfirm our leadership in international services in the domain of Machine-to-Machine and the Internet of Things.”
Mobistar has been active in Belgium since 1996 and has 5.5 mobile customers. It is the second largest operator after Proximus (the former Belgacom).